Fairlady December 2018

The news that the Department of Education has shortened this December holiday quite radically was hardly even a blip on my horizon. Not only because we’ve all been working so hard that we’ve barely been able to look up as the year blitzed past, but because I don’t need to think about it. For the first time in 14 years, my husband and I won’t have any schoolgoing kids in January. It’s extraordinary. We’ve had a tiny taste of what it will be like over the past three months because Eighteen has been writing matric, so we’ve had to do the school run only on the days she actually wrote exams. It was weird: early morning suddenly became an actual period of time rather than a blur of lunchboxes and…

WILLOW CREEK OLIVE OIL Their Estate blend and their Directors’ Reserve both won Gold at two prestigious competitions: the 20th L’Orciolo d’Oro in Italy, and the Terraolivo International Olive Oil Awards in Israel. Brilliant and delicious! DERMALOGICA MULTIVITAMIN POWER FIRM This eye cream has made such a difference to my skin’s dryness. It also seems to have helped the laugh lines – that might also be because there’s not much to laugh about in the mad rush towards the end of the year! Just kidding – I think this product is doing the trick. PRETTY ICONIC:  A Personal Look at the Beauty Products That Changed the World, by Sali Hughes I’ve always loved beauty products – and this fantastic book is an ode to all the greats. Hughes looks at…

✽ WINNING LETTER The shadow of abuse Jani Allen’s article ‘Fear and loathing in New Hope Pennsylvania’ [October 2018] read like a tick-list of my 11-year relationship with an abusive partner, my then-husband. From accusations of being a lesbian and being throttled to silence, right down to the duvet being ripped off the bed – it was all too close for comfort. It’s been two months since the divorce, but I still feel as if I’m walking in the shadow of the abuse. I’m so grateful for Jani’s inspiring account because I know what it feels like to walk away. I’d like to encourage abused women to speak up, and stop being scared and embarrassed: we don’t diminish ourselves when we break the silence. In fact, we grow stronger from…

Carven Le Parfum is an ethereal floral fragrance with a subtle signature scent of sweet pea. The simplicity, freshness and charm of this eau de parfum embodies the incredible energy of Carven couture. It opens with mandarin blossom and white hyacinth. The heart is a floral bouquet of sweet pea, jasmine and ylang-ylang, and the sensuous woody base is a combination of white sandalwood, osmanthus and Indonesian patchouli. THIS HAMPER CONSISTS OF: a Carven 50ml EDP, Carven 50ml EDT and Carven Homme 50ml EDT Carven fragrances are available at selected Foschini stores. ☞ WRITE TO letters@fairlady.com…

Julia Roberts enters a room like a stealth bomber, unobtrusive yet impressive; impossible to ignore. Today she’s wearing a black Yves St. Laurent suit with red patent leather Christian Louboutin school-flats. Her honeycomb-blonde hair is pulled up in a chic high pony with the side parting she seems to favour for big events. Humungous glasses perch on her nose. Going incognito? Hardly. On another face the hair and lenses might be too much, but somehow the frames accentuate the überrecognisable delicate features and that famous smile. Tall and lithe, with a famous mane and an even more famous laugh, this southern belle and mother of three might be the darling of Hollywood for four decades now, but respect for her talent was hard-won initially. Showing true grit, she rejected the…

CAMPING The idea of being close to nature and away from the noise of the city is romantic and everything, but living it is another thing. All the work that goes into camping (packing, preparations, setting up the tent, cooking outdoors…) is hardly worth the payoff. And I’m precious about a good night’s rest, which requires a comfortable bed (seriously, air mattresses aren’t meant for adults) and no mosquitoes. My hair also doesn’t do well in the wild, away from my trusty GHD. And if you don’t fish, it’s actually pretty boring – all that’s left to do is drink warm beer and eat cold food. Add to that the two most terrifying words in the English language – ‘ablution block’ – and it’s a hard no from me. TOURISTS!…